All the talk and media coverage this week in advance of the Oklahoma game on Saturday at Tennessee has been about the Sooners' "immovable object" defense going up against Tennessee's "unstoppable force" offense.
That, for sure, will be a formidable matchup and a major factor in the outcome of this top-25 SEC primetime showdown. Contrary, however, to what appears to be the popular narrative, the bigger factor that will determine who wins this game is how well quarterback John Mateer and the Oklahoma offense can take advantage of a Tennessee defense that's not very good.
Sooners rely on John Mateer and OU offense
Much has been made about how explosive the Tennessee offense is at both running and passing the football, leading the SEC with a dangerous offensive balance that averages 45.6 points and 510.1 yards per game. The OU defense is going to have to be at its best to slow down the well-oiled Volunteer machine that is hitting on all cylinders. The Volunteers come into this game having produced 48 touchdowns in eight games. Oklahoma, though, has given up just eight offensive touchdowns in the same number of games.
This Tennessee team might remind you a lot of the powerhouse Oklahoma offenses during the Lincoln Riley years. Those Sooner teams had to outscore every opponent they faced because they weren't able to stop anybody on defense. Every game seemingly became a shootout.
The Sooners don't necessarily want to get into a shootout with Tennessee on Saturday night. But the OU offense should be able to move the ball and put up points against a Volunteer defense that ranks 112th nationally in points allowed (30.9), 119th in first-downs allowed (22.6) and 122nd in passing yards allowed (266.3). The Vols' defense also has been vulnerable against the run, allowing 136.3 yards per game, which is 11th in the SEC and 54th among FBS teams.
Tennessee got off to a fast start at Kentucky last week, scoring 21 first-quarter points on the way to a 56-34 blowout win over a Wildcat team with just two wins on the season and is winless in conference play. The Kentucky defense ranks 14th in the SEC, which accounts for Tennessee's offensive numbers, but UK had 476 yards of offense of its own and 330 yards through the air.
Because the game is being played at Tennessee, the Vols will have a 12th defender at their disposal when Oklahoma is on offense with 102,000 noisy Tennessee fans packed into a sold-out Neyland Stadium, the third-largest venue in the SEC.
The Oklahoma offense has had success against some good defenses this season, and it will have a golden opportunity on Saturday against a defense that is mediocre at best and is especially vulnerable on the back end in pass defense.
But of course, this will require a Sooner offense that is able to execute plays, avoid costly penalties and turnovers, and sustain and finish drives, keeping the high-powered Tennessee offense on the sidelines in the process.